The world is on a very unsustainable trajectory and, while the news is filled with the possibilities of economic crises, mass movements of refugees and migrants, climate change disasters, threatened species, health impacts of pollutants, food crises, and other symptoms of unsustainability, it is hard to imagine what they all imply together other than disaster. The only safe prediction is that the years and decades ahead will not be smooth sailing. Placing all this in a broad systems perspective, we shall look at the concepts from science and Bahá’í principles that can help us to see that these are all symptoms of a world in transition towards a better future. They teach us that we must break free of the old ways of doing things, and can already start building, from the community up, the elements of a new world order based on ethical principles. The expected adoption of the post-2015 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals at the UN at the end of September shows that all governments now recognize that we must transform our world, supported by the Pope’s recent encyclical, and hopefully by the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. This convergence of global aspirations with the Bahá’í vision will open many opportunities for constructive learning and change as we face the inevitable challenges in the years ahead. See a summary of the talk here.
